Democracy for New Mexico

Sunday Bird Blogging: YearlyKos Edition

As you can see above, Sunny the sun conure wants nothing to do with YearlyKos. Even seeing one of our bags of swag from the blogger convention caused him to flee. He was all wet, having just taken a bath, so we thought he might be cool and calm enough to hang out near the dreaded object. We even tried to bribe him to stay near the bag with one of his favorite treats -- a piece of Rice Chex -- but he just grabbed it and flew the coop, wet wings and all.

Bosco the peach-faced lovebird (above) didn't want to pose with anything YK either, but we managed to get a quick shot before he scrambled up Mary Ellen's arm and onto her shoulder, peeping loudly in protest.

Seems both Bosco and Sunny were less than pleased that we were away for 10 days to attend the convention and vacation in my old home town of Chicago. They missed us and all their daily routines. We missed them too, but we arranged for experienced bird sitters to hang out with them, play with them and feed them while we were gone. It went well, all factors considered, but they still wish YearlyKos never happened. Some avians are demanding like that. The parakeets, on the other hand, could have cared less that we were gone. They have each other and, as the old saw says, birds of afeather flock together.

Bosco did agree to pose with one of our anti-Bush-Clinton-regime-themed buttons (there were many versions), but only because he is so opposed to another Clinton administration. He let us know in no uncertain terms that he absolutely refuses to support Hillary in her presidential run. He reminded us that she and Bill promised so much in terms of equality under the law for lovebirds, but failed to deliver. We know how he feels. (Click on photos for larger images.)

Bush, Los Ranchos, Domenici, Wiviott

You probably already know about this but I thought I'd post on it anyway as I'm still catching up after 10 days in Chicago for Yearly Kos and a Chicagoland vacation.

Bush in Los Ranchos for Pete
The Decider will appear at a private, big-dollar fundraiser on Monday, August 27, to benefit Sen. Pete Domenici's campaign to retain his Senate seat. It'll cost a mere $1000 just to get in the door, and $5000 to have your picture taken with Bush. The gathering of Republican Bush-Domenici supporters will be hosted by Los Ranchos Mayor Larry Abraham, a registered Independent, at his home in the North Valley outside Albuquerque. Abraham is also the Vice-Chair of the board of directors of the Mid-Region Council of Governments (MRCOG) and Chairs their Metropolitan Transportation Board (MTB).

Surely, Abraham's "independent" cover has been damaged beyond repair by his enthusiasm to host Bush and support the campaign of one of the administration's primary rubberstamps. According to an Albuquerque Tribune article, Mayor Abraham deemed the event "a historic moment for the entire village and our family." I guess so, if you consider a stealthy visit from one of the most unpopular, unethical and incompetent presidents to be a positive thing.

Mayor Abraham also stated that, "We're honored to help Pete. He's an asset to the whole state of New Mexico." Others might argue that an aging, increasingly out of touch Senator who's accused of injecting politics into prosecutions by our U.S. Attorney, and who consistently supports tax cuts for the elite, huge subsidies for oil, gas and nuke corporations, a failed foreign policy in Iraq and continued destruction of our civil liberties is hurting most constituents rather than helping them.

Ready for a change? Check out the campaign of , a Democrat who's running for a chance to challenge Domenici for his Senate seat. Wiviott, a green developer from Santa Fe who's making clean energy, the environment and getting out of Iraq his core issues, was one of the candidates featured at a packed netroots candidate celebration at the Yearly Kos convention in Chicago last week. It was great to see a New Mexico Democrat up there on the stage with other strong netroots favorites like of New York, Darcy Burner of Washington State and Steve Kagen of Wisconsin. Even Al Franken, who's campaigning to take on Repub incumbent Norm Coleman in Minnesota, appeared at the candidate event via a live video feed. The candidates honored at the event are featured on a special Act Blue page where you can learn more and donate to one or all of them.

Don Wiviott (left) speaks to crowd at Yearly Kos Netroots Candidate Celebration

Wiviott was much in evidence all over the convention and was clearly concentrating on listening, learning and networking with activists. We had a chance to share a dinner with Don and hang out with him at a couple events. We came away very impressed with his intelligence, honesty, passion for progressive change and practical approach to fiscally responsible problem-solving. He's sincerely reaching out to the grassroots-netroots for support and he got a bunch of it at the YK candidate event. We look forward to hearing more from him as his campaign swings into gear.

Wiviott (bottom left), YK Netroots Candidate Class of '08 (Click on photos for larger versions.)

August 13, 2007 at 12:17 PM in 2008 NM Senate Race, Candidates & Races, Democratic Party, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (15)

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

DFA Offers Free Night School Direct from YearlyKos to Your Computer

From Democracy for America:
Democracy for American folks will be in Chicago for YearlyKos, the annual bloggers' conference. I know that not everyone can take off the weekend, so I talked to some of the event organizers and to some of the country's top political bloggers. Together we figured out a way to bring you the energy and excitement of the conference to you in the comfort of your own home – DFA Night School!

Building an Open Progressive Community
Thursday, August 2nd, 4:30-5:30pm Mountain Daylight Time
RSVP: https://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=22051

That's right, even if you aren't going to be in Chicago, you can attend without having to make the trip or paying a dime. We're excited to announce that DFA Night School will be taking place live from YearlyKos this Thursday at 4:30 PM Mountain Daylight Time. Chris Bowers from www.openleft.com and Katrina Baker from Living Liberally will join us as we learn how to Build an Open Progressive Community.

You and I both know that the Internet has fundamentally changed how people engage in the political process. This Thursday we'll focus on how you can use online tools to build up a progressive community in your area. The session focuses on using online tools and offline actions, locally, to build an open progressive community. Then we'll show you how to leverage that community to engage your local Democratic Party, making it more active and responsive to progressive values.

This special DFA Night School event will be brought to you live from the YearlyKos convention hall, so it should prove to be an exciting, unique experience. Join us as DFA brings YearlyKos to you.

Night School is DFA's no-cost online training program. After you sign up, you will receive the information for our nationwide toll free conference call. The presentation includes a slideshow you can view in your browser or download and print out beforehand. Join us as DFA brings YearlyKos to your living room.

Arshad Hasan, Training Director
Democracy for America

P.S. If you enjoyed the last Night School sessions on fundraising, the DVD version is now available!

https://contribute.democracyforamerica.com/nightschool

Every purchase helps us continue to keep Night School free for everyone. I'm always looking to be innovative in our training program, and your support allows me to continue to trainings online and in person. Order your DVD today!

August 1, 2007 at 12:44 PM in DFA, Education, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (0)

YearlyKos

I'm headed to YearlyKos at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, so things may be a bit slow around here for awhile. I set up some auto-posts and I'll try to check in when I can, but no guarantees. There's so much going on at the convention that I think down time and web time will be hard to muster. Very exciting.

Lots of sources will be covering the gathering so you can follow things right from your couch or computer. A YearlyKos follow it at home page will have frequently updated links to all the coverage they know about. Both CSPAN and CNN plan TV and web video coverage -- no details yet. Talking Points Memo will have something called TPMtv with interviews and live coverage. So will PoliticsTV and UstreamTV online. No doubt participants will be uploading stuff to YouTube and flickr. And I'm sure just about every progressive blog will be on the story to some extent.

There are a multitude of panel discussions, workshops, roundtables and film screenings, which you can browse in the convention schedule. Major events, official and unofficial, include (all times Central Daylight Time):

Wednesday, August 1

• Evening: Various receptions and parties
• 8-9:30 PM: DFA Health Care Forum with Jim Dean, health care advocates and experts

Thursday, August 2

• All day: Interest group and blogger caucuses, panels, workshops, roundtables, films
• 7-9 PM: Kickoff keynote speech by DNC Chair Howard Dean, with welcomes from Markos and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL)
• 9-10 PM: DFA Grassroots Victory Caucus

Friday, August 3

• All day: roundtables, panel discussions, workshops, films
• 8-9 AM: Keynote speech by Wesley Clark
• Luncheon speech by Andy Stern of SEIU
• 5:30-7:30 PM: Netroots Candidate Celebration (one of the cosponsors is Don Wiviott, Dem candidate for NM Senate)

Saturday, August 4

• All day: roundtables, panel discussions, workshops, films
• 8-9AM: Ask the Leaders Forum with Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Harry Reid, Sen. Chuck Schumer, Rep. Rahm Emanuel
• 1-2:45 PM: Presidential Candidate Forum with Bill Richardson, John Edwards, Barak Obama, Hillary Clinton, Chris Dodd, Mike Gravel
• 3-3:45 PM: Individual breakout sessions with presidential candidates
• 4:30-6:30 PM: Teamsters' Rally and BBQ
• 7-10 PM: Closing Keynote by Markos plus surprises

Sunday, August 5

• 11AM-1PM: Bloggers' Brunch

Other Info:

• An unbelievable list of Speakers, Panel & Workshop Leaders
• Exhibitors

August 1, 2007 at 07:34 AM in 2008 Presidential Primary, Current Affairs, Democratic Party, DFA, Education, Events, Media, Public Policy, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (0)

Thursday, July 26, 2007

In the Good News Department - Literally

Have you heard about The Real News, a new plan to build the world's first global independent news network -- without funding from governments, corporations or advertising? Be sure to watch the entire video above and check out their site at TheRealNews.com.

They're only at the Beta stage but they plan to eventually offer a full service international news service on the web and and an hour-long TV newscast. They need seed money now to create their web news service, and plan to start their TV show in time to cover the 2008 election. I signed up as a supporter and I hope you'll join me and pass this info on. If this isn't worth $10 a month or however much you can give, I don't know what is. I find their concept really exciting.

Check out of esteemed supporters, which includes people like CBS News veteran Tom Fenton, Air America radio host and journalist Laura Flanders, author Gore Vidal, Freepress founder and president Robert McChesney, longtime progressive Phil Donahue and many others from all over the world who are concerned about the damaging influence of corporate-filtered news.

We all complain about how badly the mainstream media has been performing in terms of keeping citizens informed with REAL fair and balanced coverage that relies on fact instead of spin. We're all tired of the news concentrating on fluff, gossip and mayhem. Now there's something we can do about it. We can sign up to support The Real News.

The Real News will be financed by the economic power of thousands of viewers like us around the world. Just 250,000 people paying $10 a month will make it happen. I made my pledge. I hope you . Here's film maker and Real News founder Paul Jay explaining why our support is so important:

Click for on the creation of The Real News.

July 26, 2007 at 03:31 PM in Economy, Populism, Media, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (3)

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Random Thoughts on the Dem CNN-YouTube Debate

(OK, I've reposted this after it disappeared due to the TypePad power outtage. Now you may get it twice.)

These are my off-the-top-of-my-head, personal thoughts on last night's debate and the Dem candidates. What are your thoughts?

Some questions were more pointed than those usually posed by the MSM, but others were plain silly. It's unfortunate that the poobahs at CNN provided the screening as I'm sure there were many great video questions that CNN wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole.

CNN is completely biased putting the perceived "frontrunners" at the center of the stage with Kucinich and Gravel at the ends.

CNN is completely biased in giving the perceived "frontrunners" way more questions and way more time than other candidates.

When not every candidate gets to talk about some of the most important issues of the campaign -- like health care reform and environmental degradation -- the format is not serving the interests of voters.

No questions on campaign finance reform, the death penalty, "free" trade, labor issues, the increasingly evil role being played by hedge funds and private equity outfits, military spending, the silencing of real journalism, Iran or many other issues I wanted to hear about. But we did get questions on Hillary's gender, whether Obama is "black enough" and favorite teachers of the candidates. Go figure.

Anderson Cooper obviously doesn't know much about the issues and seemed most concerned with getting all the video questions aired rather then getting comprehensive answers. Let the candidates talk! He gave certain questions to certain candidates without regard to their experience. For instance, you'd think a question about nuclear power would go to Richardson given his experience as Energy Secretary and the fact that NM is so entangled in all things nuclear.

Gay Marriage: The answers from most of the candidates (except Kucinich) were weasling, confusing and just plain wrong. Civil unions or domestic partnerships DO NOT provide the same benefits as civil marriage as they omit hundreds of rights provided by federal civil marriage, like all the rights married couples get regarding Social Security survivorship, portability between states and nations, etc. Gay couples are already getting married in select churches -- it's the civil rights provided by civil marriage , which have absolutely nothing to do with religion or spiritual matters, that are unavailable. I did like that Richardson talked about what's "achievable" instead of talking about how "conflicted" he is about gay marriage, like Edwards did.

The Word Liberal: It really irked me that Hillary couldn't bring herself to respect the word "liberal." She claimed she's a "modern progressive," whatever that is. I guess it means you've abandoned the needs of those living in poverty, the working class and the middle class, and refuse to push for such things as single payer health coverage, in order to please the deep pocket donors from Wall Street and big corporations. But you don't hate gay people, African-Americans or Hispanics. Big whoop. DLC allegiance all the way, just like with Bill.

Health Care: Despite this issue generally being number 2 with the public behind Iraq, it got very little play. They crammed three questions on this into one and then didn't give many candidates a chance to answer. The health reform plans of every candidate except Kucinich preserve the role of for-profit insurance companies, brokers, HMOs etc., when it's clear that a majority of Americans want single payer NOW.

Say It Loud: As in previous debates, Kucinich and Gravel spoke the truth in no uncertain terms on a number of issues, making Cooper and the other candidates uncomfortable. How dare they not stay inside the box of accepted spin talk! They must be crazy! I especially liked Gravel calling out the others on the big donations they take from those connected with global finance and global corporatism. I liked Richardson's clear answer on No Child Left Behind: "I'd scrap it. It doesn't work."

The Dem Field: At this point in the race I have to say that no Dem candidate inspires me enough to get excited. Each one seems to have a gap where they need more substance and/or courage. Maybe I'm just too cynical or I'm still pining for the excitement and status quo challenges of the Dean campaign in 2004. It seems to me we need an incredibly high degree of wisdom, boldness, genuine leadership, passion, creativity and ethical purity if we're even to begin solving the profound problems we face.

Do you see those qualities in any of the current candidates? They all still seem so business as usual to me. Platitudes and spin. Of course, any one of them would be an incredibly better president than any of the Repubs. I'm just not very pumped up by any of them. Craving more charisma and truth! I also wonder if any of them realize we have a constitutional crisis going on ....

Hillary Clinton: The more I see her, the more I think she'll win the nomination based on her toughness, her ability to recite calculated talking points perfectly and her incredible intellect. What I question is what, exactly, she'll use that huge intellect to try and achieve. I don't trust her. Her links to corporatist forces are just too strong and many. Given that the Wall Street and big media forces are aligning behind her, I have a hunch she'll win the nomination hands down. She also uses her "first woman president" schtick to great advantage.

Barak Obama: Very good at using many words that sound substantive on their face but actually communicate little specific meaning. Yes, we're all for "hope" and solving problems and "turning the page." The devil is in the details, not the generic slogans. I tend to mistrust any politician who seems to entirely lack anger at what's going on in America and who seems to view anti-constitutional neocons as being amenable to bipartisan negotiation.

John Edwards: I like his wife much more than I like him. Although he voices positions that are often strong, creative and focused on the real problems we're experiencing as a nation, he doesn't seem tough enough to me to win against the Repub machine or to take on the powers he'd have to confront to achieve his stated plans. He often comes across as too slick and packaged. His populism is attractive but it's anyone's guess how sincere he is about it.

Bill Richardson: Too often, the Governor still seems not ready for prime time in his presence. I question many of his statements about what he wants to do in terms of education, health care and other issues. If he's being sincere, why hasn't he done more in New Mexico to achieve these aims? You have to wonder what he's promising away to raise the funds he's raising. I always get the sense he's really the DLC-oriented politico he's always been with some liberal, anti-war frosting added by consultants to make him more palatable to the Dem base. While he's done some very good things in NM, there's always that lingering sense that he does everything with an eye toward political gain rather than deep-seated values.

Joe Biden: Ever since he badgered Anita Hill at the Clarence Thomas hearings I've had a negative view of him. He often comes across as a bully to me. I don't believe his claim that he prays the rosary every day. He has deep connections with the financial and military establishments.

Chris Dodd: I like many things about Sen. Dodd, but he voted for the war and repeats Repub talking points like "I believe marriage is between one man and one woman." Given the power of corporate players and the severe economic inequalities within his home of state of Connecticut, he's got some 'splainin' to do. Not enough charisma.

Dennis Kucinich: Great positions on many issues coupled with a very weak record of successful achievements in the Congress and beyond. He lacks any degree of pragmatism or realism on many issues. Still, I like that he's on the stage saying what the majority of base Democrats believe on the important issues. Somebody has to do it.

Mike Gravel: I like his ferocity, even if it can be a little over the top. I like his freedom to say things like all the troop deaths in Nam were a complete waste. Almost everyone knows that, but few will say it out loud. He did some really important things that I respect when he was a Senator in the Nam era, like filibustering against the draft and standing up for the release of the Pentagon papers. While he expresses a number of fringe views, I think he should be given his due instead of repeatedly being cut off and dissed by pundits, candidates and debate organizers.

See for yourself:

• Debate transcript Part 1 and Part 2.
• Complete video of debate.
• Video clips from PoliticsTV.

July 24, 2007 at 06:41 PM in 2008 Presidential Primary, Democratic Party, Media, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (4)

TypePad, where I have this blog, experienced some sort of power outage for most of the afternoon. They're back up now, but there may still be oddities happening within the blog. Bear with us (them). For instance, I notice that the post about my responses to last night's Dem debate is missing, and the comments feature is still down.

July 24, 2007 at 06:27 PM in Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (0)

Monday, July 23, 2007

Dem CNN-YouTube Debate Today at 5PM

The first of six presidential "debates" officially sanctioned by the DNC starts today at 5:00 PM MDT at The Citadel military college in Charleston, SC. It's a joint presentation by CNN and YouTube, with more than 1300 3000 video questions being submitted by the public. Candidates reportedly reviewed 600 of the 30 second clips, and about two dozen will be used in the forum tonight. Anderson Cooper of CNN will moderate. The debate will be shown live on CNN TV and streamed live on CNN.com. I'm sure there will be repeats on the cable news channel and clips available online.

Candidate websites will be hosting chats and other debate companion features, including Gov. Bill Richardson's campaign online. You can join their with campaign staff and other supporters from around the country at 4:30 PM MDT. You can also submit your feedback on the debate to here.

July 23, 2007 at 04:15 PM in 2008 Presidential Primary, Democratic Party, Media, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (4)

Saturday, July 21, 2007

Guest Blog: Join Santa Fe ENOUGH Protest or Create Your Own

This is a guest blog by Kaye Hancock of Santa Fe, NM:
Have you had ENOUGH? If you aren't sure, watch this video: How To Create An Angry American. Then join an ENOUGH PROTEST! Happening every Sunday in Santa Fe and all around this country!

Here are the ground rules, from chief instigator Wes Clark Jr. in Los Angeles: see diary at Daily Kos.  There have been updates by Wes Clark Jr. on Kos and at with photos of people standing as ONE or in groups. We are in the process of recruiting more people every Sunday. Everyone add two friends or family members, then hopefully they add two or more to say "ENOUGH," ... and watch it grow!

So, JOIN ME and others around the U.S.A. who are giving up ONE HOUR A WEEK to celebrate democracy and breathe life back into it ---is it worth it to you?  If it is worth it to you, then stand with me this Sunday and all other Sundays, from Noon to 1:00 PM at the corner of Paseo de Peralta and Old Pecos Trail at the Capitol Roundhouse in Santa Fe, and wear a t-shirt or hold a sign that simply says ENOUGH!

Note: "Enough" Tees can be purchased cheaply .

Our signs and shirts are limited to one word: ENOUGH. It doesn't matter what color the shirt or sign is. We're not going to yell anything or subject people to bad music, long-winded preaching to the choir, or shouting matches with pedestrians or carloads of people who may disagree with us. We're just going to stand there wearing our shirts. Signs saying "ENOUGH" are welcome, too. If people respond that they have had ENOUGH, we will ask them to come back the following Sunday to join us. That's it. It's really simple.

You will also note from the photo below that I have a homemade sign that I carry, and I am in the process of making a couple more signs appropriate to the theme "ENOUGH." I found the second Sunday I was out that the sign incited more attention, thumbs-up, hoots, hollers, and honks, especially since I was alone. Signs are welcome!

We hope to geometrically build a leaderless movement of people to put pressure on the politicians to stop shredding the Constitution whenever it is politically expedient for them to do so. By coming back week after week with no draw other than standing with our fellow citizens around this country, we're letting them know we are the kind of dedicated voters willing to put in the time and effort to throw them out if they can't respect the foundation of our Republic. 

I'd like to stay home on Sundays for the next eighteen months, but I don't think this can wait until the next election. By then damage will be done and the guilty will walk away, only to re-enter politics with the next swing in the election cycle.

COME JOIN ME! It started with one here in Santa Fe: ME! 

HAVE YOU HAD ENOUGH?

Let me know if you are interested by emailing me with "ENOUGH" in the subject line. I'll be on the corner waiting for more of you to join me! And if you have a contact list of people in Santa Fe who have had ENOUGH, forward my message to them as well!  ~ Thanks! ~

This is a guest blog by Kaye Hancock of Santa Fe, NM who can be reached at KayCeSF@aol.com. Guest blogs provide our readers with an opportunity to express their views on pertinent issues. The views expressed may or may not match ours. If you'd like to submit a post for consideration as a guest blog, contact me by clicking on the Email Me link on the upper left-hand side of the page.

July 21, 2007 at 07:00 AM in Current Affairs, Events, Guest Blogger, Iraq War, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (0)

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Tune In Now: NM Blog Radio

You can listen to today's archived show about EMERGE NM hosted by Heather Brewer and earn 50 cents for the organization if you listen to the podcast during the coming week. Click to read about today's show.

July 19, 2007 at 11:03 AM in Local Politics, Media, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (0)

« Previous | Next »